Top Trend of 2018: Friendly co-working

December 28, 2018

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The St-W Team

Amsterdam – When a London nightlife institution known for its legendary parties opened a co-working space, we knew we were in the middle of a tipping point. The typology, which in its first iteration was supposed to provide roving desks for digital nomads, is now as social as it can get. In fact, many now include features that are meant to help customers go from work to play in a matter of metres. Others are pushing further boundaries by providing a link to strangers in niches – from tech workers to hair stylists.

Here are the top five friendly co-working case studies of the year on St-Wweb, St-W and the St-W Awards.

Photos by Heywood Chan

[1] THE COLLECTIVE IN SEATTLE

‘We’ve seen several of these services popping up in metropolitan locations over the past two years, but what makes stand out is how unexpectedly comprehensive it is. With options like a day-and-night bar, a bouldering gym, a two-storey hammock garden, yoga and live music, the Seattle-based social club is the warm embrace you didn’t know you needed. The space looks like the young-adult version of the neighbourhood-park playground… and purposely so.’

[2] GO TODAY SHAIRE SALON IN TOKYO

‘For most up-and-coming hair stylists with a unique creative vision, the road to getting their scissors on paying customers can be bumpy: getting their own salon is a prohibitive idea, particularly in the challenging real-estate market of the Japanese capital. Enter Go Today Shaire Salon – and no, that’s not a typo, but a nod to its sharing-economy system. The Tokyo spot, designed by local studio Canoma, applies the principles of co-working to the world of hair styling.’

[3] THE MINISTRY IN LONDON

‘As a landmark of South London for 27 years, Ministry of Sound sensed an opening in the market and, in July, opened . The work spot has been as selective as a vigilant doorman about who to let in, focusing on companies in tech, music and the creative industries. But before bringing in freelancers, start-ups and established businesses, the club owners invited local architects Squire and Partners to transform a Victorian-era printing factory located in Southwark, less than a four-minute walk from the club. The brief? “The aim was not just to offer a place to do business,” said Squire and Partners’ Tim Gledstone. The firm was instead tasked with creating an experiential space that could transition for work and play, a place where creatives could be immersed in a “convivial and creative way of life.”’

[4] UFO SPACE IN CANOAS, BRAZIL

‘But there is still, unfortunately, a gender imbalance in this habitat. The Mov.in team isn’t immune to that: its four members, Francisco Tubino, Guilherme Busin, Lucas Dutra and Matheus Stringhini, are all male. Knowing that the way women use public spaces might differ from the way men envision them, they decided to bring in a consulting female architect to make sure would be an inclusive space that could, in turn, lead to more women-lead startup projects in the city.’

[5] THE NEST IN WARSAW

‘For Polish design studio Beza Projekt, spaces like the Nest blur work and leisure. The Danish word for cosiness, hygge, has taken off in cultural wildfire in recent years. While this state-of-mind-and-being is largely applicable and necessary for Danes’ mental sanity in the frigid Scandinavian winters, it can also translate over into preferential modes of working. Beza Projekt recognises this: in an attempt to tackle the evolving workspace, they adopted a new perspective. What if a workspace was more like a club, a place to feel at home and relaxed? A place to drink coffee and play solitaire on your phone after a particularly stressful meeting? A new species: the hygge workspace.’